Star Trek money tips to live long and prosper

You do know that Star Trek isn't real right? It's science fiction.
All of those groups of people that they talk about and the life styles they lead
and the political/social/economic philosophies they prescribe to are fictional.
And because they are fictional they can be made to appear, either good or bad,
however the writers/producers wish them to appear.

Daniel LeifkerSan Francisco, CA

May 22, 2013 9:26 a.m.

I bet the next Star Trek movie will mention "bitcoins" somewhere in the
script.

And don't forget about the quatloos from the planet
Triskelion. I always disliked that episode, but I was fascinated by the concept
of a civilization that spends all its time wagering on unpredictable things.
Sort of like Wall Street.

RedShirtUSS Enterprise, UT

May 21, 2013 3:42 p.m.

I hate it when people start quoting Star Trek, without any understanding of it.
Michael, and Matthew Yglesias at Slate should read what the official Star Trek
web site has to say about money.

If you read "A Look at Money in
Star Trek" at the Star Trek web site, you find that while Roddenberry wanted
to eliminate money, the use of money by the Humans is throughout the series and
movies.

Money, along with capitalism, is alive and well in the 24th
century.

I know it. I Live it. I Love it.Salt Lake City, UT

May 21, 2013 1:35 p.m.

“The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We
work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.”

I agree.
I've always agreed. I've believed in that principle all my life. I
call it the United Order. I think it's a great idea. Some people think
capitalism, communism, and socialism are great ideas. Everyone has ideas, yet
everyone also seems to miss the point.

Societal isms don't
define our choices. All I'm saying, is that Star Trek's technological
utopia may seem plausible because of all the "technological solutions",
but technology solves nothing, people do. Guns give us power, a replicator would
give us power. If I could zap resources into existence, it'd be great. If a
terrorist could zap resources into existence...

I love technology,
but it doesn't automatically solve our problems. The real question, to me,
is how many people are being converted to the philosophy, the work. Is our world
more or less charitable than yesterday? Is the percentage of good people growing
or not? Are we becoming a more forgiving society? A more charitable one?
Utopia's are built by a utopian people.